Volunteers uKnighted to Serve Community

ASB participants and faculty advisor Hannah Hodges sitting in front of church in Birmingham that had previously been bombed during the time of the Civil Rights Movement.

The Department of Housing and Residence Life strives to provide students a safe and secure environment that is conducive to academic success and personal achievement. In the Lake Claire Community, first-year students had the opportunity to live in Volunteers uKnighted.

Although the students living there are individually different, together they are one community, working through their diversity and coming together for a common goal of serving the community. Resident Alyssa McCauley commented, “Living in the Volunteers uKnighted community is a great way to get involved on campus as a first-year student — volunteering is one of the most selfless and rewarding acts that one person can do.”

This year several uKnighted residents spent their Alternative Spring Break in Birmingham, Ala., teaching the Junior Achievement Program to children at Abrahms Elementary School.

Faculty advisor Hannah Hodges shared her experience, “The ASB trip was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Not only did it increase my desire to volunteer more in my own community, it also taught me a lot about the potential in every student. . .I learned a lot about each member on the trip and enjoyed knowing that we were making an impact. ASB is a fantastic way to get involved, meet new friends and make a positive difference in the world.”

The Volunteers uKnighted living-learning community was created in fall 2010 by Jeremy Foskitt, and 40 residents contributed more than 1,600 hours of community service this year. The community has several partners on campus and in the Orlando community, including Volunteer UCF, the Office of Student Involvement, Pet Rescue by Judy, Second Harvest Food Bank, and the UCF Arboretum.

The Department of Housing and Residence Life in in the Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services.